ED FISHER: Civilian drones are here to stay

The Boston terrorists managed to fire the imaginations of the gun nuts and the anti-immigration bolts. As it has turned out, federal, state, and local officials were prompt and thorough in identifying the suspects, killing one Tsarnaev brother, Tamerlan, and capturing the other, Dzhokhar, on April 20.

The citizens of Watertown where the capture was made crowded the streets and cheered police as the younger man was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

As of April 21, he remained in serious condition due to injuries to his neck and tongue sustained in his run from the police. (April 21, 2013,www.reuters.com.) At least three died in the explosions, many were injured, and a police officer was killed and another wounded during the chase that led to the capture.

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Were there errors and missed trails? Of course, no system involving human foibles will ever be perfect. That notwithstanding, there was public cooperation and no mass hysteria. The many surveillance cameras and cell phone photos hastened the process. Terror was thwarted.

Anti-immigration websites, such as www.alipac.us/content on April 22, 2013 screamed that congress should “slow down amnesty legislation (S.744) and to change its legislative focus from amnesty for illegal immigrants to more enforcement and security for Americans in light of the most recent immigration related terrorism attacks” and focus on immigrants such as Chechens.

A few days earlier, the U.S. Senate rejected all curbs on guns despite the fact that 90 percent of Americans wanted at least a more inclusive background check. (April 18, 2013 www.washingtonpost.com.) The NRA scared 46 senators to vote against the bill, including six meek Democrats: Max Baucus, Montana; Mark Begich, Alaska; Heidi Heitkamp, North Dakota; Mark Pryor, Arkansas; and Harry Reid, Nevada. Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow supported the will of the people. (April 17, 2013 www.usatoday.com.) The right to bear arms prevails.

If we don’t take any action to revive stricter controls on background checks, size of magazines, and use of military-style weapons more mass murders are inevitable. Some opponents smirk, “These laws won’t change anything. The bad guys always will get guns.” If one maniac wielding an AR-15 assault rifle with a high capacity clip can be thwarted the laws would have proved their worth.

Michael Shermer examined the data regarding gun violence in the United States. The data came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 31,672 people died by guns in 2010, the most recent year for which U.S. figures are available. Of those killed, 61 percent were suicides. Another 73,505 were treated for gun wounds in emergency rooms. Of the 1,082 women and 267 men killed by their intimate partners, 54 percent involved guns. (Scientific American, May 2012, page 83.)

With no legal changes, I intend to mount my 22-inch stainless bull barrel Bushmaster AR-15 rifle on my remotely piloted aerial vehicle and you’ll have to pry the joystick from my cold, wizened hands if you intend to stop me.

Think of it! Gasoline-powered, radio-controlled airplanes have been around since the 1930s. They are legal and can be any size. They come in many configurations, with varying endurance, speed, controls, sensors, and payload capacity. Small models with multiple rotors can fly like a hummingbird: forward, backward, sideways, up and down. Cities, corporations, and individuals are buying them for surveillance, spotting fires, locating lost people or animals, and monitoring property.

Perhaps I don’t need an AR-15; I could mount a .223 caliber derringer such as the aluminum-framed DA models by High Standard and ADC on a hummingbird.

Large cities are already working on regulations to insure safe separation between RPVs and other aircraft and structures. FedEx and UPS are working with engineers to design inexpensive mail and package delivery vehicles to fly predetermined courses on schedule. A good source for information on unmanned aerial vehicles is www.theuav.com.

Remotely controlled aerial systems will continue to evolve. The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk can fly international distances. The design could be modified to carry valuable cargo across the Atlantic or Pacific. Automated highways for cars and trucks, and automated aircraft will take a while to develop. In the not-too-distant future humans will be able to leave the driving up to robots.